Member

Posts: 64
From:Murfreesboro, Tn, USA
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-07-2003 09:50 AM         

---

Hello all!!
Trike is my beagle, i have been talking about her alot lately in these posts, so for people who already read about her, sorry about the repeat information!!!
ok so heres the thing. she is a very wonderful dog. i got her from the pound a few day before she was going to be put down. when i first saw her she was just sitting in the cage, i walked up and sat in front of her cage and talk started talking to her. she was just shaking and cryying, she really looked like she need a friend!! so i went up to the front and asked about the beagle. the lady asked me which on the three legged or the four legged beagle, not knowing that trike was the three legged, i asked for the three legged one thinking that becasue it was disabled it might have a harder time finding a home. so low and behold the shakey little beagle girl that i saw first was the three legged dog! it was fate. she was suppose to go to me!!
ok i have had her for almost three years now. most of the things that were going on with her when i first got her are over now. like when i would call her name she would low crawl to me. she doesnt do that anymore. or when i would go to pet her she would get real low like i was going to hit her. that too has been long gone! i figure those two things she did was because who ever had her first beat the mess out her, because she was scared of almost everyone when i first got her. the sound of her walking down the steps scared her. but thats all over now.

There is one thing that she has been scared of ever since the first day i got her. and that fear has never gone away. and thats her fear of cars. she hates and i mean hates riding in cars. its fight tryying to get her in the car and when she finally does give in and gets in ( i dont force her, i just sit in the back sit and call her. it takes a while but she get in all by her self. i dont want her to feel forced.) when shes in the car she just sits there and shakes and looks so pitiful. needless to say we dont go on many car rides together!! which is a shame. every once in a while i'll take her to the park, but because getting there is so horrible for her, we usually just take walks around our home. ok so heres the question. i dont know how she lost her leg. part of me thinks it was a car wreck. and thats why shes so scared of the car, or maybe who ever had her first always took her to places she was scared of, so she thinks of the car as something that takes her to a "bad" place or "scray" place. could it be something else? i dont know. i just want her to feel comfortalbe in the car. any suggestions? sorry about the long intro!!

oh yeh also does she remember how she lost her leg? you know like i heard that dogs dont have a great memory or whatever but i would think losing a leg would be a major event and would kinda be brunt in her head. i dont know.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 20
From:Sask. Canada
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-07-2003 10:04 AM         

---

oh dogs remeber! happys sister got a concusion in a collision, now 2 years later we had a near mis-hap again the exact same thang that happend when she got the concussion over agin, both dogs involved rememberd, punch stopped and froze in place a look of fright came over her face, and surge the dog that crashed into her to give her th econcussion stoped then went around the jumps, it was obvious they both remebered what happend. anyway as for the car issue try feeding her in the car, and make some extra special treats that she ONLY gets when in the car, just start slowly, just get her in give her the treats with lots of praise, then you done for the session, keep doing this extending the sessions each time until she is comfortable enugh to start the car, dont go anywhere yet, just start the car, and give her the goodys while its running, it will take a while but it will help her in the long run. hope that helps

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 501
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-07-2003 10:06 AM         

---

One thing that I have heard to do to help an animal to like the car is to feed the animal in the car for a while. You might have to do this in steps, progressing very slowly, moving the bowl closer to the car and then into the car over a period of days. You could also try playing with her with toys in the car.

After she seems to be comfortable eating and playing in the car, have her eat or play while you sit in the front seat. When that is okay, turn the car on (but don't go anywhere). Keep on doing things in tiny steps, making sure she is comfortable before moving on to the next step.

It will be a very long process. Good luck to you, and kudos for adopting such a wonderful dog in need.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 64
From:Murfreesboro, Tn, USA
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-07-2003 10:20 AM         

---

thanks ya'll, i will have to try the food thing. but sady she wont and has never played wiht toys. I asked a trainer once why she doesnt play with toys, he said that they have to learn to play with toys. like when she was a puppy no one really played with her. isnt that sad!! i have tried to play with her. i have bought toys for her and everything. once i saw her playing with a cat toy and went out and bought it the same thing just for her. but she didnt want anything to do with!! also she is very very picky about treats. she such a funny dog!! i love her to death!!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 585
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-07-2003 11:04 AM         

---

I got my Poodle Darby when he was almost a year old, he was abandoned at my moms(she was pet sitting him). He had no clue how to play and was scared of everything, I am generally not a small dog person, but it broke my heart to see him like that. We took him home and within maybe 6 months...he was a different dog. He races around the house like it's an established Indy course, plays with toys, has an additude and is very very snuggly. He still has some issues, the people who had him had a son who was very abusive to him so Darby does not like boys and can't be trusted around them, he once bit a 10 year old boy in the face because he was on his hands and knees teasing him. He also is afraid of being sat on...if you sit down next to him quickly or suddenly, he will growl and yelp all at the same time jumping away from you. So although some issues still remain for him, and we understand those and work around them, he is for the most part a totally different little guy, it just took a little time. I do think they remember.
Cali my dog and another crashed head to head in a flyball pass last year...both dogs are on the same team now and they do remember, both of them will pass extremely wide of each other, though not with other dogs.

Lottyn, I also adopted a Beagle from the pound many years ago, she was 5 and they were literally taking her back to be euthanized. The guy had her in his arms and the tell tale pink slip in his hand. I was not there to adopt a dog that day...and not a small dog certainly. I borrowed the $15 that it took to adopt her from my girlfriend and took her home. My mother was furious because she had a litter of Poodle puppies at home and was worried about the pound dog making them sick, she made me keep her next door at a friends. Within hours Emily, the name I gave her, had escaped and found her way to our driveway where she stood baying her little head off. My mom looked out the window at her, watched her sad little howl for a few minutes and then spat at me.."well go get the damn thing, you can't just let her sit out there disturbing the neighbors!" my mother pretended to be annoyed for all of about 10 minutes... Emily wormed her way into everyones heart. She lived to be 23 years old and was one of the best dogs and friends I ever had. I also never heard her bay again in all those years. She barked, but never bayed.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 64
From:Murfreesboro, Tn, USA
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-07-2003 12:31 PM         

---

Thats such a sweet story!! I am not a small dog person either, but you HAD to see her face. OMG it was just so sad and sweet!! anyone who meets trike falls in love with her and wants to steal her from me!!! she just wants to please everyone she mets! and she loves to get loving back. we will be sitting somewhere and she will just put her head on you lap and look at you with those eyes that say love me, pet me!! i think she is very happy now. she is always around me, we are like best friends!! at times she will run around or pick up a toy. but its very rare when she does that. mainly she just likes to be close to someone and get loving. she would be the happiest dog in the world if i didnt have to work and i could stay home all day and pet her!! but she too cute to stay away from for to long!! thats why i want her to be more comfortable in the car. i know she doesnt like it when i am not around. she acts sad!! so if she could just learn not to be so scared of car rides, she could go on more outtings with me!!!!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 64
From:Murfreesboro, Tn, USA
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-07-2003 12:35 PM         

---

also...it makes me so sad to think of dogs at the pound. i am so happy you got that beagle!!! i dont see how people could do that!! you know, like i could never ever in a million years have that job!! my house would be an animal farm, i would bring home every cat,dog, ferret, what ever it was that i was going to have to put to sleep, to my house!!!!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 501
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-07-2003 03:24 PM         

---

I was going to volunteer at the shelter where we got Nala and take pictures and write descriptions for when they are posted on petfinder, but I am still thinking it over. I'm afraid at some point I would find someone I couldn't part with, and then I would have to choose either the dog (or cat) or my husband...

At least it is a no-kill shelter. I couldn't work at a kill shelter.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)